India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar had previously been declared the winner of the People's Choice award. England's Katherine Brunt won the Spirit of Cricket award, for asking for a referral when a South Africa batsmen was adjudged out caught - the decision was eventually reversed.

Responding to the ICC's announcement, Johnson said his success as a fast bowler came down to his "attitude". "Aggressive fast bowlers are something you'd have seen back in the day with the likes of [Dennis] Lillee and [Jeff] Thomson.

For me, it's nice to be able to contribute to the team and do the job that I've always thought I've been able to do. I suppose it comes down to the attitude I've got, the belief and the confidence," he said. "I'm very happy with where I am at the moment and I want to keep getting better as a cricketer.

"This [the awards] is something that I'll be able to look back on in time when my career is over and be exceptionally proud of."

The winners were picked based on their performance between August 26, 2013, and September 17, 2014. In that period, Johnson took 59 wickets in eight Tests at 15.23 and 21 wickets in 16 ODIs at 33.04. Meanwhile, de Villiers had scored 963 runs in ODIs at 60.18 with four centuries.

Ballance, meanwhile, made his debut in January at Sydney at the tail-end of England's woeful Ashes campaign and went on to establish himself as the team's new No. 3 during the home season where he scored 704 runs at 70.04 in seven Tests against Sri Lanka and India.

His captain, Alastair Cook, paid tribute to the way he has slotted into the key position. "At the beginning of the summer I talked with Peter Moores about who was going to bat at three and for him to take it on and pass with flying colours is a real testament to him," he said.

"He's a fantastic player and he knows his method incredibly well. The emerging player of the year is a justified title for him and he's probably hurting he's not in the one-day squad. You want people who are desperate to get in and play."

Awards listICC Cricketer of the Year - Mitchell JohnsonTest Cricketer of the Year - Mitchell JohnsonWomen's ODI Cricketer of the Year - Sarah TaylorODI Cricketer of the Year - AB de VilliersEmerging Cricketer of the Year - Gary BallanceAssociate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year - Preston MommsenT20 International Performance of the Year - Aaron FinchT20I Women's Cricketer of the Year - Meg LanningSpirit of Cricket Award - Katherine BruntUmpire of the Year - Richard KettleboroughLG People's Choice - Bhuvneshwar Kumar